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The Team

The ULV Team (established in 2013), are a team of engineering students from the University of Liverpool who have designed and built the ARION series of land speed bicycles. The team is now currently ...

ULV Team Partners and Sponsors

The ULV Team are currently looking for innovative and forward-thinking organisations to become involved in our exciting new project, and to support the ULV Team in our venture.
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The ULV Team (established in 2013) are a team of engineering students from the University of Liverpool who engineered the ARION series of speed bikes. All team members are studying for a Masters of Engineering at the University of Liverpool. The ULV Team are currently designing the ARION4 to take on the arm powered world land speed record in September 2017.

The University of Liverpool Velocipede Team (ULV Team) set the British land speed record for fastest human-powered vehicle in September 2015 with the ARION1 Land Speed Bicycle, reaching 75 mph. Over the course of the race week, the British record was broken three times by the ULV Team, and now sits an impressive 8 mph higher.

In 2016, with the ARION2, they broke their own record, reaching 76.59 mph, and also raising the women’s record by 29 mph, up to an impressive 71.05 mph!

In 2017, the ARION3 was raced at the same competition, with the male rider reaching 77.4 mph, and the female rider 71.49 mph. While both faster than previously, the headwind they were riding into was above the legal speed.

In 2018, the ARION4 broke four arm powered world records; two overall speed records, and two acceleration records. The male rider reached 51.58 mph, and the female rider 46.54 mph!

Now, the ULV Team are taking on the leg powered multitracke world record with the ARION5. The Team are confident in their ability to bring back more records to the UK!

The ULV Team were the first UK University based team to attempt the land speed record.

The Records

The current arm powered male world record is 51.58 mph and was set in September 2018 by Ken Talbot from the ULV Team. The current female world record is 46.54 mph and was set in September 2018 by Karen Darke MBE from the ULV Team.

The current leg powered male world record is 89.59 mph and was set in September 2016 by Todd Reichert from AeroVelo. The current female world record is 75.69 mph and was set in September 2010 by Barbara Buatois from Team Varna.

The “200 metre flying start single rider” land speed record is governed by the International Human Powered Vehicle Association (IHPVA) who host an annual event in Battle Mountain, Nevada USA called the World Human Powered Speed Challenge.